When we were Istanbul two years ago, there were relatively few Americans. It was Ramadan and our plane was half full. When we arrived there, the city was full of Russian tourists partying and drinking like it was a weekend trip–and it was. Russians treat Istanbul much like we do Cozumel. It’s a fast flight to sun and fun.
Above you’ll see some of the Russians. They were by the pool all day. When we’d come back to eat or change in between sightseeing, they were there. At the end of the day before the sun went down, they were there. I joked that from all the Russians in Turkey it looked like they won the Cold War.
I wondered with their new problems with Turkey if that had changed, and then I saw this NPR report yesterday.
Istanbul is a beautiful city, and the people work hard. I worry about them being able to find enough work to live if tourism slows down. It’s a very safe place and a true wonder. You should think about visiting.
